About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced clinician looking to work at the front door of urgent mental health services in CNWL.
The SPA/OOHCR Senior Practitioner will play a crucial role in delivering urgent mental health support to people in mental health crisis.
The SPA is CNWL's 24/7 crisis line and urgent referral service where clinicians work primarily over the telephone to conduct clinical triages and support callers to access crisis support in a timely manner, and to remain in the community.
The service also provides face to face crisis assessments between 8pm and 8am across Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, K&C and Westminster. Within these hours clinicians will travel to peoples' homes and conduct assessments in order to provide an alternative to attending A&E.
We believe that the best care is delivered by enthusiastic and skilled healthcare professionals who are passionate about crisis support and understanding of the social stressors that can contribute to people feeling distressed. The service values those with a wealth of experience of mental health conditions and their treatment.
You will also be prepared to work nights and be involved in the clinical supervision of the staff undertaking the OOHs crisis assessment role.
Main duties of the job
The key elements of this post are:
-Overseeing and conducting rapid engagement with service users over the telephone and in-personby conducting face to face assessment in their homes.
-Delivering care and training/supervising others to ensure a high level of triage, assessment andsignposting of service users to statutory and non-statutory support services.
-Working closely with our Bed management services, home treatment teams and psychiatric liaison teams and the Mental Health Crisis assessment services as well as having an excellent understanding of CNWL referral pathways in secondary care
-Using excellent clinical assessment and risk formulation skills and being able to confidently communicate to the team and to stakeholders both verbally and in writing.
About us
The Single Point of Access service sits within the Urgent Care directorate and is uniquely situated as an access point into crisis support and mental health services across the whole trust.
If successful in post you will have the unique opportunity to expand and grow your knowledge of the organisation and the support it offers, and play a pivotal part in service users first contact with mental health services, or at the point of crisis and in need of urgent support. You will also be their lifeline in a time of crisis when they need professional support the most.
This is an excellent opportunity for a clinician looking to develop their management and leaderships skills, and expand their experience within a urgent care, with opportunities to work both in SPA undertaking both clinical telephone work but also face to face assessments; but also to work alongside our bed management and liaison service.
The service is committed, along with the Trust, to developing its workforce by delivering a robust package of education and training and ensuring the service delivers a trauma informed-based interventions at all times.
Job description Job responsibilities
Main duties and responsibilities: To provide strong and effective clinical leadership to the 24/7 SPA team and the Out of Hours Crisis Response Service between 8pm and 8am.
To provide day to day clinical leadership, management and co-ordination focusing on delivering high quality mental health support services.
To actively work as part of the team as required answering calls and arranging urgent mental health support for patients in crisis.
To undertake assessments in patients homes that are referred to the OOHCR Team, to formulate risk, arrange care and support people in crisis. Providing an alternative to assessment in A&E.
To undertake clinical screening of all referrals coming into the service the other Senior Practitioners in post.
To participate in setting standards of care in the team and ensure that those experiencing mental health issues are given fair access to treatment and services.
To ensure a robust training and support programme is in place for both SPA and peer support staff.
To work in conjunction with the Service manager of SPA to ensure that all aims, goals and targets are met, and clinical quality is maintained.
To support the Service Manager in regular reviews of the team and performance and adapting practice or the service in collaboration with other key professionals.
To participate in multi-agency meetings internal and externally to ensure that regular callers and high intensity users of the service have a good quality care plan.
Support the service manager to ensure that the team is adequately staffed month on month, through use of HealthRoster and Loop.
To work some night shifts in negotiation with the service manager
The SPA/OOHCR Senior Practitioner will contribute to the provision of safe and reliable services by:
Using supervision and clinical audits to ensure that their supervisees are maintaining high quality during calls and assessments
Providing expert safeguarding advice to the team and seeking support from trust safeguarding leads in complex cases
Undertaking risk formulation with the support of the SPA Consultant Psychiatrists and ensuing that risk concerns are acted on promptly.
Providing clinical and management supervision to the SPA Practitioners
All SPA/OOHCR Practitioners expected to be registered with their respective regulatory body and to adhere to their Regulatory Bodys Code of Conduct.
Person Specification
Education and Training Essential
RMN or SW or OT equivalent Live first level registration
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities Essential
Knowledge of recent legislation affecting Crisis Services Ability to demonstrate in depth knowledge of Crisis interventions Knowledge of the process necessary for effective risk assessment and management. Knowledge of the supervision process and effective people management
Desirable
An understanding of Clinical Governance. Knowledge and use of research methodology
Previous experience Essential
Significant clinical experience in the community and/or hospital based services. Demonstrable experience at Band 6 or equivalent Evidence of ability to effectively manage an acute service or crisis service Experience of delivering training to different disciplines and professions Experience in the management of psychiatric emergencies Experience of the Supervision process and the ability to offer effective supervision to staff at different levels (I) Previous experience of working using telephone support Proven skills in conflict management and ability to have difficult conversations Working understanding of trauma informed approach
Desirable
Understanding of the principles of financial management. Experience of implementing service improvement/development
Attitudes, Aptitudes & Personal Characteristics Essential
Ability to demonstrate a creative and flexible approach to managing a front line team and in delivering a high standard of care. Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care plans to meet needs of patients. Ability to set, monitor and evaluate standards for quality within the service. Knowledge of and ability to work as part of a multi professional team as a lead clinician and role model. Ability to work effectively in crisis situations in order to maintain the safety of both staff and patient. Ability to provide advice and support to other agencies/professionals. Experience of effective communication with other agencies at a variety of levels. Ability to manage resources effectively and be creative in developing both staff and services Ability to use IT systems and adapt to IT clinical change
Other Essential
The post holder must have the ability to understand the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job Ability to promote anti-discriminatory practices
Desirable
UK Registered Driving License
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address The Gordon Hospital
London
SW1V 2RH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)